Chelsea Banter Archive January 22 2020

22 Jan 2020 19:30:06
Although nothing has been specified about Lewis Baker coming back from his loan, it doesn't look good.

The lad had plenty of talent I hope he isn't going to waist it.

22 Jan 2020 20:46:31
Perhaps hip or thigh it instead?

22 Jan 2020 22:00:34
Not sure what that means Roweycfc but I’m sure other posters do?

23 Jan 2020 00:25:16
That ship sailed a long time ago. You love mediocrity Tom.

22 Jan 2020 23:42:50
You wrote waist instead of waste.

23 Jan 2020 05:15:26
I had no idea that people follow my posts so closely.

MarkSteinIsMean, please note I said “had”

JustCallYouDave, apologies, I will try and be more accurate in future.

24 Jan 2020 07:03:55
No worries Tom, was just me being my usual idiotic self. I used to really rate Lewis, and I still think his set piece delivery and total twofootedness is something that we could really use on the team now. I wonder if perhaps he got a bit jaded with the loan life, or perhaps he just wasn’t as good as many of us armchair fans thought! There’s a reason we aren’t professional scouts! Saying that I hope he can at least get his career back on track to play at a decent level someday, even if not for us anymore.

22 Jan 2020 16:11:41
One player who does go under the radar for LB which hasn't been mentioned on here is Lucas Digne. He's got 4 assists this year from crosses and has improved so much last two years. Just another player that would improve us at LB.

22 Jan 2020 19:12:01
............................

{Ed002's Note - I have a major issue if you are going to use people who are unfortunately disabled in your foul abuse of Chelsea players. Why bother coming here?}

22 Jan 2020 12:41:25
Lampard in without a doubt. But he needs players desperately and the majority of this site need to realise without slating the players the majority of them are just plain average. Christensen has been immense since coming back in I think.

Going forward the only players I think I'd carry forward are James, Christensen, Tomori, Kovacic, CHO, Pulisic and Abraham.

Mount is very inconsistent but young he needs to learn to be more creative for a CM. Maybe a loan.

Zouma is a good squad player.

Jorginho good player but not cut out for this league.

Kante has to play in either a midfield two or be sold he has no significant impact in a 3. He was basically playing as a 10 last night at some point I mean what is that all about exactly.

Willian, Rudiger. Alonso, Emerson, Barkley, Batshuayi and Kepa would be my names first out the door. Or slating them but they're not good enough. Frank needs to be ruthless.

What we need is quality signing I. e Sancho, Oblak types. My only concern is that they're not going to join if we don't get top 4 and I don't think we will with this squad if United get Fernandes they'll edge it with his goals and assists something we need.

22 Jan 2020 13:15:37
I think Alonso, Pedro a centre back plus Michy will almost certainly leave and that will give the club enough gaps to fill in the summer window!

22 Jan 2020 13:39:58
I think Michy shows his worth in the next few weeks should Tammy be out.

His first chance to lead the line for us, for a run of games.

22 Jan 2020 14:38:26
Fingers crossed dihanio!

22 Jan 2020 16:41:46
That, Dihanio, would be a pleasent suprise.

22 Jan 2020 08:48:11
As poor as the results have been recently, and certainly yesterday was a must win after the first 25 mins I think we need to remember we haven’t had a full squad all season. We’ve been unlucky with injuries and against arsenal if we had Reece James and Pulisic playing, I think we would’ve won. We’ve also got RLC to come back hopefully by the end of the season as well as perhaps a signing or two this month. Our squad isn’t the deepest at the best of times but injuries have definitely hampered us this season.

22 Jan 2020 09:23:46
Injuries haven’t helped but no worse than other teams. Maybe, we are asking a lot from young players and Mount is a classic example. He has been average for most games but it’s his fist Premiership season so we should try and be patient.

22 Jan 2020 12:23:38
The only teams that haven't really been hit by injuries are Liverpool, Wolves and Leicester - hence how well they're doing. City: defence; Man U: Pogba, now Rashford; Spurs: Kane. Bournemouth: their whole 1st eleven! We haven't been particularly hit badly by injuries - we're just not good enough.

22 Jan 2020 14:23:39
The injuries we have had though have been to players that make the most impact. When he’s played Pulisic has almost always been our best player and Reece James is the only player that can cross a ball in this team. RLC would also add a bit of everything to our midfield. With a full squad to choose from I’d say our starting XI is actually pretty strong but when Lampards hand is forced by injuries it makes things difficult. If James and Pulisic played yesterday we would’ve won quite comfortably I think.

22 Jan 2020 07:47:38
I actually feel the need to defend Kepa, I don't think the blame lays at his door for either goal yesterday. The first was a one-on-one following a slip, odds were against him and it was a good finish. The second was poor defending, firstly not putting the ball out (eating up time and getting structure back) before when Abraham was down, and secondly Emerson showing Bellerin inside; before Bellerin found the bottom corner.

Overall, back in August, I think we would have all taken being in fourth at this point of the season. Our performances are relative to our situation - transfer ban, loosing Hazard, key players playing championship last season with no EPL experience, rookie manager etc.

If I'm honest, I think it's a miracle top four remains ours to loose.

22 Jan 2020 08:37:01
Kepa is just the latest to be singled out by some fans. It wa Jorginho for a while but performances like last night have shut those people down for a while. Our fans at the game last night made it loud and clear how they appreciate him.

I think Kepa has been at fault for some things and the goal against Newcastle was a classic example. He should have done better with the attempted save but the defending was amateurish, in particular Rudiger.

It’s funny how things change so quickly in a game as I was singing Emerson’s praises and telling everyone around me how important it was to have a left footed player at left back, when his performance just fell off a cliff.

22 Jan 2020 08:40:32
Miracles can happen J but we are trying desperately to cock this up!

22 Jan 2020 08:55:51
To be fair to Emerson, if you look at the replay, Abraham tried to help with a 2 on 1 with his leg limping around. At some point of the move Abraham actually blocked Emerson from getting close to Bellerin. But again Emerson was guilty of not putting the ball out for Abraham to receive treatment in the first place. I have to be honest, Abraham for me is too lightweight, he gets bullied around almost every game and his conversion rate is drop dead awful.

{Ed001's Note - how is it Emerson to blame? There were about ten chances to put it out before it came to Emerson! The whole team has to accept the blame on that, every single one without the ball, including Tammy, should have been screaming to the one with it to put it out. No one did. That is a team mistake.}

22 Jan 2020 09:23:19
The funny thing is Ed we were screaming for the ref to stop the game or Arsenal to put the ball out when they had possession. We get possession and start knocking it around our own penalty box! Should have gone out, 3-5 mins taken off the clock and allow us to reset defensively. For me Emerson's defending was poor in the situation, but should never have got to that point.

{Ed001's Note - exactly mate. It was all Chelsea's own doing and I can't understand what they were thinking! Why did they scream at Arsenal to do it but not do it themselves when they then got the chance?}

22 Jan 2020 09:47:02
Very, very poor game management.

22 Jan 2020 04:39:55
Regardless of it being 1 v 1 I had no confidence in Kepa saving Martinelli's shot and that's the issue. Why can't he be dropped for Caballero for Hull and if he plays well he should stick with him!

In the summer we should be all over Onana from Ajax as a replacement.

22 Jan 2020 07:16:36
My guess is WC will play against Hull anyway!

Last night the goals came from poor set up and amateurish defending.

22 Jan 2020 07:47:07
I've pretty much lost all hope in Kepa unfortunately. Likewise everytime an opposition attacks us I am rather nervous because it's not even 50/ 50 that Kepa could save the shot anymore. Yesterday it was 2/ 2 and I wasn't a fan of his positioning for the 2nd goal. I will echo what Joe Cole said and reaffirm the importance of the next 5 months for Kepa in saving his Chelsea career.

22 Jan 2020 08:23:29
All the players and all the coaches should come under continuous scrutiny.

I haven’t checked but my guess is that the fans ratings for this season so far would put Kovacic, Tammy and maybe Willian at the top of the performance charts and that about says it all for me!

22 Jan 2020 12:39:48
Kovacic, Tammy and Tomori for me. I love Tomori he’s much better than Rudiger for me also and should be brought back in.

22 Jan 2020 02:10:50
Didn't want to jump on here straight after what feels like a defeat, a sum up of everything so far, Lampard is above criticism it appears and it's getting frustrating, playing kante exactly where Sarri did who was slated for not playing him in his best position.

now talk of kante not at his best. Well if he was played in his actual position he would be, jorginho that calming figure, again sideways passing, nothing direct, we needed a second goal and it was all to pedestrian like all his play, we didn't need someone calm and playing keep ball we needed some creativity.

But he scored a penalty and points a lot so word class, CHO was brilliant, so direct and really seemed up for it. Willian ion other side was his usual self, slows it down runs across opposition rather than beating them. Will run sideways from right to left and instead of finding Emerson would pass to azpi. Pointless.

Why Lampard allowed us all so far forward to be caught in counter was embarrassing, Tammy missing chances is costing us, the header tonight should go back the way it came or header it down, that chance and the 2 v Newcastle, aguero / firminho / Kane bury them and it's a different game, And the mentality seems so weak, it's like the players know any shots on target will result in a goal.

Arsenal 2 shots 2 goals. Thought christensen was very good, getting board of frank saying his same thing after every game about dominating, should of won etc etc, we don't create and we concede sloppy goals, why should we deserve to win games exactly?

I'm Lampard In, he needs players, he needs time, but I'm worried that we've had these problems all season and he can't fix them, and frank keeps saying our targets not available in January but without top 4 they still won't be.

22 Jan 2020 08:26:11
Christensen was excellent Matt and so was Jorginho.

Onwards and upwards but this could be the lowest points total ever to qualify for the Champs League.